What Happened on May 4?

May 4 is Star Wars Day — 'May the Fourth be with you!' — on the same date National Guard troops fired on protesters at Kent State in 1970, the Haymarket affair shook Chicago in 1886, Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979, and the first Grammy Awards were held in 1959.

• 1886 — A bomb explodes at Chicago's Haymarket Square labor rally

  On May 4, 1886, a dynamite bomb killed police at a Chicago labor rally — turning a peaceful workers' protest into a violent tragedy that shaped the fight for the eight-hour workday. Read the full story →

• 1904 — The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal

  On May 4, 1904, the U.S. formally took over canal construction in Panama — a project that would reshape global shipping by linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Read the full story →

• 1959 — The first Grammy Awards ceremony is held

  On May 4, 1959, the Recording Academy handed out the first Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and New York — launching music's biggest prize. Read the full story →

• 1970 — National Guard troops fire on protesters at Kent State University

  On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guard soldiers shot into a crowd of Kent State students protesting the Vietnam War — killing four and wounding nine. Read the full story →

• 1979 — Margaret Thatcher becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom

  On May 4, 1979, Margaret Thatcher entered 10 Downing Street as Britain's first woman prime minister after winning election the day before. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993) · Keith Haring (1958–1990) · Will Arnett (1970) · Randy Travis (1959)

Days & observances

Star Wars Day · International Firefighters' Day · National Weather Observers Day · National Bird Day